Huddie "LeadBelly" LedBetter- Folk Singer/Song Writer
LeadBelly was born on January 20th, 1889 in Mooringsport, Louisiana, which is outside of Shreveport. The only child of Sally and Wesley Ledbetter, Huddie would become one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
Huddie had a troubled life right from the start. In the eighth grade he dropped out of school and decided to pursue his music career. It did not start off well. Many times Ledbetter had to work manual labor to stay fed and clothed. In 1918 Huddie got into a fight with a man from Texas, who he killed. His sentence was 30 years in the Huntsville State Penitentiary. All seemed lost at this point. But, in 1925 seven years into his prison sentence LeadBelly wrote a song to the governer and asked for a pardon. Huddie got the pardon and was a free man once more.
Only five years later LeadBelly would be inprisoned again, this time in Angola Prison Farm plantation in Louisiana. This as it happens would be the first step in LeadBelly's music career. While at Angola, Huddie met John and Alan Lomax, who were recording prison songs for the library of congress.
After another pardon from a prison sentence LeadBelly moved to the Big Apple and played at many college campuses, including NYU, and Princeton.
Soon, Leadbelly would be acclaimed nationally as a Blues and Folk singer and musician. All too soon though, LeadBelly's career would come to an end, for in 1949 Ledbetter was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease and died on December 6th of the same year.
Although Huddie is no longer with us his music and ideals carry on. Many of his works can be found at the Library of Congress. Such titles as "Good Night Irene", "Pick a Bale of Cotton", and "Midnight Special" are a few of his most widely praised songs.
Sources
Wolfe, Charles. The Life and Legend of Leadbelly. New York, New York: HarperCollins, 1992.
"Lead Belly." Lead Belly. 25 Feb. 2008 <http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/lead-belly>.
LeadBelly was born on January 20th, 1889 in Mooringsport, Louisiana, which is outside of Shreveport. The only child of Sally and Wesley Ledbetter, Huddie would become one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
Huddie had a troubled life right from the start. In the eighth grade he dropped out of school and decided to pursue his music career. It did not start off well. Many times Ledbetter had to work manual labor to stay fed and clothed. In 1918 Huddie got into a fight with a man from Texas, who he killed. His sentence was 30 years in the Huntsville State Penitentiary. All seemed lost at this point. But, in 1925 seven years into his prison sentence LeadBelly wrote a song to the governer and asked for a pardon. Huddie got the pardon and was a free man once more.
Only five years later LeadBelly would be inprisoned again, this time in Angola Prison Farm plantation in Louisiana. This as it happens would be the first step in LeadBelly's music career. While at Angola, Huddie met John and Alan Lomax, who were recording prison songs for the library of congress.
After another pardon from a prison sentence LeadBelly moved to the Big Apple and played at many college campuses, including NYU, and Princeton.
Soon, Leadbelly would be acclaimed nationally as a Blues and Folk singer and musician. All too soon though, LeadBelly's career would come to an end, for in 1949 Ledbetter was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease and died on December 6th of the same year.
Although Huddie is no longer with us his music and ideals carry on. Many of his works can be found at the Library of Congress. Such titles as "Good Night Irene", "Pick a Bale of Cotton", and "Midnight Special" are a few of his most widely praised songs.
Links
Three songs by LeadBelly
LeadBelly
LeadBelly Foundation
The Famous Stella
Sources
Wolfe, Charles. The Life and Legend of Leadbelly. New York, New York: HarperCollins, 1992.
"Lead Belly." Lead Belly. 25 Feb. 2008 <http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/lead-belly>.